X-ray generation for medical applications from a laser-produced plasma

We present investigations on the generation of X-ray radiation suitable for different types of medical imaging. Pulses from a 10 Hz terawatt laser system with a duration of 150 fs are focused onto a solid high-Z material target, with focal spot intensities reaching 1018 W/cm2. The produced plasma emits broadband X-ray radiation with photon energies up to the MeV region. The application of this X-ray radiation offers new features for medical radiography. Our source allows magnification imaging as well as ultrashort single-shot exposures. New contrast imaging techniques making use of an enhanced characteristic line emission are investigated. The experimental set-up also allows the study of ablation phenomena from sub-picosecond laser pulses by means of particle deposition on thin glass plates. Deposition patterns were studied dependent on different plasma-generation parameters.